Is God capable of hating?

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I always had the impression that God does not hate anyone, not even the worst sinners. God is rather, disappointed and saddened and calls us to greater virtue through mercy and forgiveness found in Confession. Even the souls in hell, I would argue from my understanding, they chose to reject God and thus sent themselves there and so therefore, God does not hate them.

But this verse from Psalms is very clear, it shows that God actively hates violent people.

“The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.”
- Psalm 11:5

How can this be explained? Does God in fact hate some people? It does not say God hates what they do but rather God hates them.
 
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I think we would have to look at what the original text says and go from there.
 
It depends on what we mean by hate, and we also must understand the more primitive (or perhaps poetic), anthropomorphic language used in parts of the Old Testament.
 
I was told it meant that God cannot stand in the presence of sin and so we need to be covered with the blood of Jesus to be able to be reconciled with Him. Which he provides Himself. Thank you Father
 
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So you are saying God is so perfect that He can’t even be in the presence of sin? Thus only those without sin can enter Heaven (be perfect has your heavenly Father is perfect). But then, how would it make sense that God is everywhere all the time as everywhere but Heaven has sin, so isn’t God therefore in the presence of sin?
 
Dolphin said:
So you are saying God is so perfect that He can’t even be in the presence of sin? Thus only those without sin can enter Heaven (be perfect has your heavenly Father is perfect). But then, how would it make sense that God is everywhere all the time as everywhere but Heaven has sin, so isn’t God therefore in the presence of sin?
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It’s on our end. We can’t be in perfect communion with him if we have sin.
 
Here’s a key verse:
Wis: 11:25 For thou lovest all things that are, and hatest none of the things which thou hast made: for thou didst not appoint, or make any thing hating it.
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God loves what is good, and what He has created is good. What he “hates” is the absence of that, which is what sin and evil is.

See this from St. Thomas, especially objection 4, which quotes a similar Psalm verse, and his reply.

http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1020.htm#article2
 
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Heaven doesn’t have sin. If sin stands before God it will be destroyed. It’s like a fire and paper. God’s presence is incompatible with sin. Luckily for us He bridges the gap for us through Jesus’s sacrifice and our repentance
 
So how is God able to appear to select Saints or have Jesus be present in the Eucharist? Wouldn’t both these times be God being present in the midst of sin?
 
Does this mean God hates the devil? Is the devil just pure evil after the fall? Or would God still not hate the devil because God created the angel that became the devil?
 
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God chose to destroy the power of sin by the death of Jesus on the cross. Because he didn’t want it to separate us from Him. So those who put their trust in Jesus and take part in the sacraments are able to partake in that relationship once more and hence be able to experience the Eucharist , Holy Spirit without being consumed like that scene in Indiana Jones. I’m not kidding either - the Bible has a lot of stories of people falling ill and dropping dead when they are irreverent in the present of the ark or the Eucharist. But as another poster said, it’s all on our end. And we can always find our way back and be sorry and reconciled with God who loves us
 
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Contrary to popular belief. God created evil when he created the Devil. God is omni-present. Knowing that Devil would become evil prior to it’s creation, yet God continued on.
 
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Surely even the angels had free will in the beginning. So Would it not be more accurate to say God allowed evil but he has a plan to defeat it too
 
Why don’t people fall ill or drop dead when people steal the Eucharist and have black masses? Not trying to sound argumentative or questioning, I’m genuinely curious and appreciative of your insight 🙂
 
@RidgeSprinter @halogirl I think you could make the argument that true faith is shown when it is tested. Its so easy to pray and be virtuous when things go our way. When things don’t go our way and things are painful or tempting, do we remain faithful and pure? So in a sense, the existence of evil (which will ultimately be destroyed as the war has been won already) allows for people to truly grow in virtue and faith
 
Im the other way round - I tend to pray more when I’m going thru a tough time and need to tighten up in the good times. This could just look like ‘thank you Lord ‘ as we eat, or enjoy our homes.
 
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Every action has consequences. Who says things don’t happen as a result of those things? Equally, God is infinitely merciful and he wants us all to be saved. My favourite priest tells me that sins generally have their own natural consequences in our lives. If you get drunk guess what you will be sick and have a hangover. When we do things wrong we have guilt whether it’s now or later. But whether consequences are dramatic or gradual they are there. We need to focus above all on love for God . When we truly love Him we rely on His grace and want His presence more than short term pleasure
 
God is absolutely greater than any short-term pleasures or desires we might want. God does not just want what is good for us but rather what is BEST for us. What feels good is not always what is actually good. Dying on the cross sure didn’t feel good and yet that was the ultimate showing of sacrificial love, the greatest possible good.
 
You asked the question whether God is capable of hating. The simple answer is yes. You gave on verse.
There are others.
Pro_6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Isa_61:8 For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Deu_12:31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Deu_16:22 Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.
Mal_2:16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

And that is the few that I found.
 
And secondly, if God is capable of committing evil, then hating is child’s play in comparison.

Does a repenting God raise all kinds of questions? Absolutely. It messes with you. Some might say that the idea of God changing his mind or somehow learning from or evolving with creation is heresy.

And technically they would be right. God’s character is steadfast and God’s will immutable. So then, what do you do with the fact that, not once but multiple times, Scripture records God admitting to flip-flopping (Genesis, Exodus, 2 Samuel, Jonah, Jeremiah)?

Well, you let it mess with you. You circle those words in your Bible and incredulously shake your head as you scratch a fat question mark in the margin. And hopefully you’re motivated to pick up another book or reflect with a friend or commence a search to get your head around the contradiction.
 
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